Our Viewpoint: Hoping a car can mobilize parents to help Polk students

Wednesday

Aug 9, 2017 at 12:01 AM

We must hand it to Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd. She never tires of thinking of ways to try to improve the academic standing of the 101,000 children in our public-school system.

Her latest endeavor is a contest to give a car to a parent at one of 20 schools that are both low-performing, in terms of their school grades, and predominantly populated by low-income students.

Byrd partnered with Jarrett-Gordon Ford for the “Wheels of Engagement” program, The Ledger recently reported. The winner will receive a 2017 Ford Fusion and a $1,000 cash prize. Runners-up will receive a $2,000 prize from CenterState Bank.

We applaud Byrd and her allies at Jarrett-Gordon and CenterState for this innovative approach. Byrd said recently that transportation issues prevent some parents from being more involved in their child’s education. This contest should remedy this situation for at least one family, she believes.

We understand many families struggle to get around in a county as spread out as Polk. The distances in miles and time between home, work and school can be significant for many of them, and force parents to sacrifice school meetings and activities in prioritizing life. Low-income, and even middle-class, families likely have it tougher than affluent ones because both parents must work, or they may have only one family car. Encouraging participation in school meetings and events is even more challenging for a community in which two of every five children live in single-parent homes, or where child-rearing may fall to other adults who are not the child’s parents. Researchers further suggest that a parent’s own education level may be a stumbling block to engagement in the school, as a parent who hasn’t attended college, for instance, may fail to recognize his or her critical role in a child’s educational development.

Still, while we recognize the good intentions involved, it is troubling Byrd and her team must resort to a contest in an effort to motivate parents to take an interest in their children’s education.

Decades of academic research illustrate how parental involvement can change the trajectory of a child’s education for the better.

For instance, in 1994 the National Committee for Citizens in Education released a study that compiled findings on 66 previous studies of family involvement in education, dating back to 1969. “The evidence is now beyond dispute. When schools work together with families to support learning, children tend to succeed not just in school, but throughout life,” the study concluded. “In fact, the most accurate predictor of a student's achievement in school is not income or social status, but the extent to which that student's family is able to: 1. Create a home environment that encourages learning 2. Express high (but not unrealistic) expectations for their children's achievement and future careers 3. Become involved in their children's education at school and in the community.” We doubt little has changed in the 23 years since then.

All parents should hold a deep, abiding interest in the academic progress and success of their children. The reality is that some don't or can't. That said, though, we wish Byrd well in this effort and hope her contest stirs parents to act. Everything suggests that schools, teachers and, most importantly, children prosper when parents take time to care — car or no car.